respirare Italian · revision 38338

+ {{infobox|confidence=established|formation=borrowing|attested=before 1342|origins=la spīrō}}

+

+ ==Pronunciation==

+ * /res.piˈra.re/^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Forms==

+ '''respirare''' (first-person singular present respìro, first-person singular past historic respirài, past participle respiràto, auxiliary avére)^(Wiktionary)

+ The old variant ''rispirare'' was in use from the 14th century.^(GDLI)^(Tommaseo–Bellini 1861)^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Etymology==

+ It is a learned word, [[bor|la|respīrō|t=to blow back; to breathe, recover one's breath]].^(DELI 1999)^(Nocentini 2010)^(GRADIT 2003)^(DEI|3232) The Latin verb is a compound of the prefix [[m|la|re-|t=again]], with iterative or durative value, and [[m|la|spīrō|t=to blow, breathe]], so that it first meant “to blow again”.^(DELI 1999)^(GRADIT 2003)^(Sabatini–Coletti 2026)^(Devoto 1968|368) DEI notes that the sense “to recover, get some rest” is already in Cicero.^(DEI|3232) Wiktionary instead treats the word as a Latinized form of the older [[roa-oit|rispirare]], which it takes as inherited.^(Wiktionary)

+

+ The same Latin verb gave [[fr|respirer]], recorded in the 12th century, and [[es|respirar]].^(Nocentini 2010)^(DEI|3232)^(Körting 1907) The noun [[m|la|respīrātiō]] is classical, while [[m|la-lat|respīrābilis]] is Late Latin, first in Boethius in the 6th century.^(DELI 1999)

+

+ In the dialects the verb lives only in Liguria, Tuscany, Umbria and Lazio: the northern dialects use words descended from [[fiatare]] instead, and in Basilicata the usual word is [[sospirare]].^(DEI|3232)

+

+ ==Earliest recorded meaning==

+ DELI's first record is in Francesco da Buti's commentary on Dante, in the 14th century, for breathing.^(DELI 1999) Tommaseo quotes the passage: ''Ogni corpo vivo spira e respira, attraendo l'aere senza lo qual non si vive'' (“every living body breathes out and breathes in, drawing in the air without which one cannot live”).^(Tommaseo–Bellini 1861) GRADIT dates the word before 1342 and DEI to the 13th century.^(GRADIT 2003)^(DEI|3232)

+

+ ==Semantic evolution==

+ The figurative sense “to find relief, to rest from toil” is in the 14th-century Italian Seneca and in Petrarch, and in 1374 Petrarch also used the verb for simply being alive.^(DELI 1999)^(Prati 1951|834) Domenico Cavalca wrote of a hermit who seemed dead ''se non che ancora nel petto rispirava e palpitava'' (“except that he still breathed and his heart still beat in his chest”).^(GDLI|15, 875) The transitive use, to breathe in air or another gas, is recorded before 1694 in Marcello Malpighi.^(DELI 1999) Zingarelli marks as obsolete the senses “to give off vapour” and “to give off a smell”.^(Zingarelli 2010)

+

+ The derivatives came later: ''respirazione'' (as ''respiratione'' before 1460 in Savonarola), ''respiro'' (before 1640), ''respirabile'' (1795), ''respiratorio'' (1835) and ''respiratore'' (1891).^(DELI 1999) ''Respirazione artificiale'' is the title of a medical treatise by Filippo Pacini of 1875.^(DELI 1999) Modern Italian also uses the verb for sensing an atmosphere, as of tension or of art in a city.^(GRADIT 2003)^(Zingarelli 2010)

+

+ ==Timeline==

+ * 13th century – DEI's date for the first record.^(DEI|3232)

+ * 14th century – Francesco da Buti uses ''respirare'' for breathing.^(DELI 1999)

+ * 1374 – Petrarch uses it in the sense “to live”.^(DELI 1999)

+ * Before 1460 – Savonarola uses ''respiratione''.^(DELI 1999)

+ * Before 1640 – ''Respiro'' is first recorded.^(DELI 1999)

+ * Before 1694 – Marcello Malpighi uses the verb transitively.^(DELI 1999)

+ * 1875 – Filippo Pacini publishes his method of ''respirazione artificiale''.^(DELI 1999)

+

+ ==Meanings==

+ ===Verb===

+ # ''(intransitive)'' To [[m|en|breathe]], to draw air into the lungs or gills and let it out: ''Il cane respirava a fatica.''^(GRADIT 2003)^(Devoto–Oli 2026)^(Sabatini–Coletti 2026)

+ # ''(intransitive, often impersonal)'' To have enough air or room to breathe comfortably: ''Apri la finestra, qui non si respira.''^(GRADIT 2003)^(Devoto–Oli 2026)^(Treccani 2011)

+ # ''(intransitive, figurative)'' To find [[m|en|relief]], to have some rest after effort or trouble: ''Dopo gli esami posso finalmente respirare.''^(GRADIT 2003)^(Devoto–Oli 2026)^(Zingarelli 2010)

+ # ''(transitive)'' To breathe in, [[m|en|inhale]]: ''In città respiriamo aria inquinata.''^(GRADIT 2003)^(Devoto–Oli 2026)^(Sabatini–Coletti 2026)

+ # ''(transitive, figurative)'' To sense, to perceive an atmosphere: ''Nello spogliatoio si respirava paura.''^(GRADIT 2003)^(Zingarelli 2010)^(Gabrielli 2020)

+

+ ==Word family==

+ * [[respirazione]]

+ * [[respiro]]

+ * [[respiratore]]

+ * [[respiratorio]]

+ * [[respirabile]]

+ * [[irrespirabile]]

+

+ ==Related words==

+ * [[spirare]]

+ * [[sospirare]]

+ * [[fiatare]]

+ * [[fr|respirer]]

+

+ ==Usage notes==

+ The figurative phrase ''respirare l'aria nativa'' means to live in, or return to, one's birthplace, and ''essere come l'aria che si respira'' means to be indispensable.^(Devoto–Oli 2026)^(Treccani 2011)^(Zingarelli 2010)

+

+ ==References==

+ {{reflist}}